If you have spent any time at all around the Osceola veterans community, you most likely met or at least saw St. Cloud resident Dorothy “Pat” Rudd, who recently passed away at age 104.
She was a steady presence. Born in Illinois in 1921, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy’s Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) in 1942. Outside of traditional medical positions, women had only briefly served in the military during World War I, and the military abruptly discharged most women right at the end of that war, only to issue the call to serve again at the start of World War II. Pat was one of the first Navy servicewomen to be deployed to Pearl Harbor, still devastated from the surprise Japanese bombing attack in late 1941. She performed administrative work and taught servicemen to read as a volunteer.
She was in Honolulu on the day the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, ending the war, and was released from the Navy in December, at the final rank of Specialist (S) 3rd Class. She had met her future husband Gerald J. Rudd—U.S. Navy Boatswain Mate 2nd Class, while stationed in Honolulu and they married after the war and settled in Kissimmee. They were married 71 years when he passed in 2017.
In 2023 Pat received a special tribute from Disney’s Magic Kingdom, where her late husband was involved with the construction of Frontierland prior to the theme park’s opening in 1971. She stayed active with veterans events and other community activities. As recently as this past August, she was honored along with fellow World War II veteran Lou Boria at a “Keep the Spirit of 45 Alive” dinner at Osceola’s Museum of Military History, which marked the 80th anniversary of the end of WW II. Her passing has been noted on the National World War II Memorial web site.
We are in the very final days of our living World War II veterans, and that war, with which we are still living in the after-effects, is quickly fading from living memory. The veterans of the Korean War are not far behind, so we should seek out and cherish the remaining opportunities of being able to listen and speak with these American patriots whose unique experiences and sacrifices can still guide us in troubled times.
Attention on deck and hand salute at the passing of Pat Rudd-rest in peace and honor!
Orlando VA housing connection event Dec. 15 — The Orlando VA Healthcare System will host A Home for the Holidays: Housing Connection Event on Monday the 15th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lake Baldwin VA Clinic (Auditorium A & B, 5201 Raymond Street, Orlando, FL 32803). The event is designed to help unhoused Veterans connect directly with landlords offering available one-bedroom apartments and studio units, with the goal of signing leases the same day. Veterans should bring a state photo ID or driver’s license, Social Security card, and any VA financial award letters, if available.
At the event, veterans may be able to connect directly with landlords who have approved housing units, with opportunities to sign a lease on-site. Immediate support from VA and SSVF staff will be on hand to provide assistance with next steps, transportation for unit viewings, support with pre–move-in requirements, and documentation. While veterans already enrolled in HUD-VASH or SSVF are the primary audience for this event, any veteran seeking permanent housing is welcome to attend.